Troubled youth have learned importance of generosity and love
By Josh Tng
The B.C. Catholic
At-risk youth are combining their nickels and quarters to help Syrian refugees.
“These boys are unbelievable. They raised $334” at a Christmas party, said Walter Mustapich, cofounder of the Boys Club Network. “One boy in particular, one of the poorest boys in the room, put $5 in. We knew he couldn’t afford to, but he said (the refugees) needed it more than he did.”
The Boys Club Network, which partners troubled young men with successful mentors to learn life skills and a strong moral code, held a small collection to help the refugees. Entrepreneur Frank Giustra inspired the collection when he spoke to the boys about his experiences helping Syrian refugees.
With many refugees coming to Canada to live, Mustapich donated the money to his local parish, Christ the Redeemer. “I presented (the money) to Msgr. Gregory (Smith) and Father Paul (Goo), and they were blown away.”
“The Boys Club Network isn’t just for poor youth, though, but for boys who don’t have any male leadership,” Mustapich explained. “We endeavour to teach them how to be a good man, and part of that is learning to give, no matter how much or how little you have.”
Mustapich founded the Network with fellow Catholic Jimmy Crescenzo. The two found modern society had many help groups for young women, but neglected the needs of troubled young men.
Society has let male youth fall through the cracks, in part because of modern media and the education system. “The boys have started to become an invisible entity in our society,” Mustapich said. “It’s cool to be a fool (academically). It’s cool not to do well, to wear saggy pants, and to act how badly behaved rappers and actors act.”
“People make the mistake of assuming that when boys don’t want to talk about (their feelings), they don’t want help.”
The Network tries to remedy that mistake by caring for the boys’ emotional and spiritual health, as well as directing them to professionals as needed.
“We work with secular schools, and we are respectful of their beliefs,” said Mustapich, “but that doesn’t mean we can’t talk about our spiritual learning as Catholics. The Golden Rule; not lying, stealing, or cheating; for Jimmy and I, is definitely part of our core.”
“We are not there to preach, but we are there to guide and love. That’s something Jesus would like.”
Father Goo was inspired by the boy’s donation, making his own donation of $668 towards the refugees and another $668 towards the Boys Club Network. “This is so remarkable, so beautiful, and so Christian,” Father Goo said in a homily. “(The boys), who have been loved by their mentors, have now decided to extend that love to others.”
The donations by the boys reflected the love of Christ, said Father Goo. “Our Lord is so good to us. He shows us so much goodness in the hearts of the boys.”
“I don’t know if a lot of the boys would have put money in the bucket before joining the Network,” Mustapich mused, “but now they know everyone can give. The little bucket is a symbol of how far they have come.”
